Rio Scharf is a staff attorney at UC Berkeley Law’s Criminal Law and Justice Center, wielding civil litigation to transform our criminal legal system. Rio recently returned to the Bay Area, where they were born and raised, after graduating from Harvard Law School and clerking for the Honorable Susan O. Mollway of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii. Rio’s proudest accomplishments include helping to lead successful campaigns to better regulate SRO hotels, decriminalize jaywalking, and abolish over $500 million of debt from traffic court late fees. With a background in grassroots community organizing, Rio views lawyering not only as an opportunity to improve conditions for people mistreated by our society, but also as a means of enhancing their power to shape the world around them. Outside of their lawyering, Rio is a parent, a biker, and an avid jaywalker.